Eight militants die in fresh infighting

MIRANSHAH - Eight militants were killed Sunday in the latest clashes between the Pakistani Taliban and a breakaway faction in the country's restive northwest on Sunday.The fighting erupted in the Wacha Mela area 65 kilometres west of Miranshah, the capital of North Waziristan tribal district.A total of 106 militants have been killed since supporters of commander Khalid Mehsud, alias Khan Said Sajna, began battling followers of the slain former Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud in April.Khalid Mehsud's group last month split from the umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a move which analysts described as a victory for the Pakistani military's strategy of sowing divisions between insurgent factions.The latest fighting left eight militants dead and three wounded, a local intelligence official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "Six of the dead militants belonged to the Hakimullah group," he said.Another security official and a militant source confirmed the fighting and casualties.Online adds: Two bombs were found from a Railway track near Kot Odano area here on Sunday, officials said.According to police, the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was called soon after the bombs were found.BDS defused the bomb planted by unidentified miscreants, police registered case and started its investigations. Tension prevailed in the area after the news about bombs spread. In recent months, trains and Railway tracks were targeted by terrorists in Sindh, Balochistan and South Punjab.

This news was published in The Nation newspaper. Read complete newspaper of 16-Jun-2014 here.